This invention relates to a pedal arrangement in a foot space of a motor vehicle having at least one pedal. The pedal swivels about a swivelling axis and is disposed on a bearing block. The bearing block for the pedal is fixed to a vehicle body element suitably arranged in a vehicle interior.
German patent document DE 195 01 859 A1 describes a pedal arrangement in a motor vehicle in which the pedal is disposed so that it swivels on a bearing block and has a lever extension which projects beyond the swivelling axis. A dimensionally stable transmitting rod, which is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is linked to the pedal in a force-transmitting manner. The transmitting rod is in operative connection with a brake operating unit. During an accident, the transmitting rod has a swivelling effect on the lever extension or on the pedal only when the brake operating unit is displaced in the direction of the foot space. Because of its arrangement in the engine compartment, the brake operating unit may not be acted upon by force and displaced. An intrusion of the front wall, however, may take place anyway. In this situation, the pedal would, as a result, not be pulled out of the impact area of the driver's legs.
Another pedal arrangement is known from German patent document DE 195 15 852 A1. In a foot space of a vehicle interior of a motor vehicle, a pedal arrangement, equipped with a brake pedal, is provided. The brake pedal is swivellably disposed on a bearing block which, in the vehicle interior, is fixed to a vehicle body element. A plunger rod, which projects to the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, connects the brake pedal with a brake operating unit which has a brake cylinder and a brake booster. The plunger rod projects through a front-side front wall of the vehicle body. On a side of the front wall facing away from the vehicle interior, the brake booster is fixed to the front wall. A desired breaking point is provided to the plunger rod in order to avoid injuries to the feet caused by the brake pedal in the foot space during an accident which results in front wall intrusions. The desired breaking point permits a separation of the brake pedal from the brake operating unit, that is, an uncoupling of the brake pedal. As a result, the brake pedal can be swivelled, without resistance, toward the front wall so that it does not project into the foot space.
It is a primary object of the invention to improve a pedal arrangement of the above-mentioned type such that the danger of injury to the driver in the foot space can be further reduced.
This primary object is achieved by a particular pedal arrangement in a foot space of a motor vehicle including at least one pedal, a bearing block on which the pedal is disposed so as to swivel about a swivelling axis, and a vehicle body element, to which the bearing block for the pedal is fixed, arranged in an area of a vehicle interior. A lever extension on the pedal projects beyond the swivelling axis to an opposite side, and a dimensionally stable transmitting rod, which extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is linked at one end in a force-transmitting manner to the lever extension. The dimensionally stable transmitting rod is in an operative connection with a vehicle operating unit such as a brake booster. A lever arm of a double-armed lever rocker, which is swivellably disposed on a front wall, is linked to another end of the dimensionally stable transmitting rod of the vehicle body. An opposite lever arm of the lever rocker is linked to a plunger rod of the vehicle operating unit which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and substantially parallel to the transmitting rod in the direction of the front wall.
The at least one pedal has a lever arm or extension which projects beyond the swivelling axis. A dimensionally stable transmitting rod is aligned with and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The transmitting rod is linked to the lever extension in a force-transmitting manner and is operatively connected by various elements with a vehicle operating unit such as a brake operating unit. The operative connection between the transmitting rod and the vehicle operating unit may include direct connections as well as indirect connections by additional transmitting members to the vehicle operating unit. When the vehicle operating unit is in the form of a brake operating unit, it has a brake cylinder and a brake booster. However, the vehicle or brake operating unit can also include a brake cylinder without an additional brake booster. The vehicle operating unit can further be formed by an operating element such as a clutch or a carburetor. The linking of the pedal according to the invention ensures that strong frontal impact loads, which result in front wall intrusions, cause a swivelling of the pedal toward the front wall, and thus away from the foot space, at the front of the vehicle. The transmitting rod is moved rearward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and, as a result, into the vehicle interior. A reverse movement of the pedal is achieved by the lever extension.
According to one feature of the invention, a transverse support is provided as a vehicle body element which extends in the area of a center console. A transverse center console support extending above the foot space in the vehicle interior is particularly suitable for the connection of the bearing block and thus of the swivel bearing of the pedal. The reason for this is that the transverse center console support is disposed sufficiently far into the vehicle interior that it is normally not displaced during strong frontal impact loads. Rather, this support maintains its position relative to the vehicle interior.
In one particular embodiment of the invention, the transmitting rod is linked to a lever arm of a double-armed lever rocker which is swivellably disposed on a front wall of the vehicle body. In this embodiment, an opposite lever arm of the lever rocker is linked to a plunger rod of the brake operating unit which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle parallel to the transmitting rod in the direction of the front wall. This embodiment is advantageous when the brake operating unit is situated at approximately the same level as the brake pedal. The lever rocker, therefore, adjusts the positioning of the transmitting rod relative to the brake operating unit and thus relative to the plunger rod.
According to a further feature of the invention, the lever rocker is disposed for swivel movement by a bearing block which is fixed to the front wall. The bearing block and the plunger rod are dimensioned such that the lever rocker is aligned parallel to the front wall. When an intrusion of the front wall because of a frontal impact load occurs, an essentially parallel displacement of the lever rocker takes place in the direction of the vehicle interior. The desired swivelling of the pedal to the front toward the front wall is simultaneously achieved.
According to a further feature of the invention, the bearing block for the lever rocker and the plunger rod are designed such that, during a frontal impact load, the bearing block and the plunger rod act like rigid components. This ensures that, during a frontal impact load, the transmitting rod is moved, independently of the position of the lever rocker, into the vehicle interior. As a result, the pedal carries out the desired forward swivel movement toward the front wall.